Identical
by kstewdeux
Summary: George copes with the loss of Fred.


Disclosure: I do not own Harry Potter. No duh.

* * *

 **Identical**

* * *

"What _have_ you _done_!?" Molly Weasley bellowed angrily as she stared aghast at the vision before her, "Your _hair_! Your _eyes_ , George!"

It wasn't as though she didn't have a point. Gone was his vibrant red hair that might as well have served as their family crest. In it's place was a vibrant, almost obnoxious turquoise color. His eyes too had changed color and were now a strange serpentine yellow.

"Honestly woman, you can't just say _hello_ George? Nice to _see_ you George? How you've _been_ George? Any of those would've sufficed," George snorted as he rolled his eyes and moved to sit down at the family table. Propping his feet off, he gave her a bemused look when her only reply with to look extreme flustered. It wasn't uncommon for the twins to do something so different. Before Fred had died in the Battle of Hogwarts, they'd done enough experimenting to put even Nicholas Flamel to shame. That thought quelled her anger somewhat as she pondered that fact. It had been three years since that fateful day and since then George hadn't produced a single new invention. Not one. It seemed as though he was merely going through the motions of the day to day. In fact, he hadn't even really smiled at all but yet here he was looking more like himself than he had in ages. Aside from the strange new look he was sporting.

"I don't know why I'm surprised," she finally sighed in defeat as she rolled her eyes and went back to fixing dinner, "You always loved being different from everyone else."

"Not everyone," came his softly spoken reply that shot a million daggers through her heart. To be honest, not even in her worst nightmare were Fred and George separated. Even with the Boggart they'd found at number 12 Grimmauld Place, it had shown her a vision of them having died together.

Desperately wanting to change the subject, she glanced at the clock and sighed. The clock had changed to match their new family dynamic. Ginny had married Harry. Ron had married Hermione. George had married a wonderful Gryffindor Angelina Johnson and they were soon expecting their first child.

"She's visiting her sister in Bristol," George commented idly as she followed his mother's gaze, "A girl's trip she called it. Wouldn't let me come along. But she should be here later I imagine."

"What does she think of your hair?" Molly asked with a bemused grin as she glanced over her shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, he reached up and fluffed his hair before chuckling at his mother's attempts to change his mind, "She picked the color actually. Better to change it before the little one gets here she said."

"And _why_ did you change your hair?" Molly asked quietly even as a deep sense of foreboding crept over her. There was something she was missing here. Why would it be so important to change his hair to such a striking color with his wife's blessing and before a child came into this world? George's silence wasn't helping her growing anxiety either. Many things could be said about him but quiet was never one of them.

"I kept thinking it was _him_ in the mirror," he finally replied with a soft resigned sigh before adding in a somewhat choked voice, "Needed something to tell us apart."

"Oh," Molly responded as she slowly placed the ladle atop the cramped countertop and turned to face her son with a sad little smile on her face and tears welling in her eyes. She was completely unsure of what to say to that quiet admission. So she did the only think she could think of. Quickly covering the space between them, she pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed the top of that turquoise head of his.

"I love you very much George," she whispered as she held him incrementally tighter, "So very much. He would've been so proud of you."

* * *

A lifetime later George found himself wandering into a strange land filled with white mist where his mother, father, sister-in-law and brothers were waiting to greet him with brilliant smiles on their faces. His hair color had changed throughout the years from one outrageous color to the next. All to keep his heart from stopping every time he looked in the mirror. Here though….here he had that red hair. His skin was young once more. In fact…

"Look Mum," came a snarky voice so much like his own, "We're identical."


End file.
